Yooxanaa 3:14, Ciise wuxuu yidhi, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, xataa sidaas, must the Son of man be lifted up: in ku alla kii rumaysta isaga uusan lumin, laakiin leh nolosha weligeed ah. Why was the serpent of brass on the pole a foreshadowing of Jesus’ death on the cross?
Why were the people of God attacked by fiery serpents?
The people of God were attacked by fiery serpents because they sinned: by speaking against God: And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, oo yidhi, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: wayna dhici doontaa, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived (Tirooyinka 21:4-9)
God led His people in a way they didn’t want to go, iyo sababtaas darteed, they became discouraged. They were not satisfied; sidaas darteed, they murmured and complained against Moses and God and came with the familiar ‘why’.
The Israelites were not satisfied and were not excited about God’s plan and all the things that were coming.
They didn’t trust the Lord and relied on His words, but they were dissatisfied with God’s plan, God’s leading, iyo risqiga Ilaahay.
They complained about not having bread and water and they loathed the light bread, which God provided for every day.
Due to all their complaining and murmuring and speaking against God and Moses, they brought mischief (xumaan) naftooda.
Because of the fact that God’s people turned against God, God turned against His people and took away His protection and gave them up to their ruler; abeesada, cadowga Eebbe, to whom the people listened and were led.
When God sent fiery serpents among the people and the people were bitten by the serpents and many died, the spiritual was revealed in the natural.
The wicked have sharpened their tongues like a serpent
Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? o ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Haa, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely (Sabuurrada 58:1-5)
Deliver me, Sayidow, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. Waxay carrabkoodii u afaysteen sidii abeeso oo kale; dabaasha’ bushimahooda hoostooda waa sun. Sela (Sabuurrada 140:1-3)
God’s people were not transformed and had not renewed their minds with the words and commandments of God and had not delighted themselves in the law and made the law of God their own
Instead of submitting to God and being led by His words and by His will, the people were led by the will and the nature of the devil aka the serpent, and turned against God and sinned against God through their words.
The serpent of brass was lifted by Moses in the wilderness
But the Israelites repented of their sins, that they had spoken against the Lord and against Moses, and they asked Moses to pray unto God that He would remove the serpents from them.
Moses prayed to God for the people, and God heard Moses’ prayer and answered his prayer, and brought deliverance for the people.
God commanded Moses to make a fiery serpent and put it on a stake. Moses obeyed the words of God and made a serpent of brass and put the brass serpent on a pole, so that the serpent of brass was lifted in the wilderness.
Everyone that was bitten and looked upon the serpent of brass would live
Everyone that was bitten by a serpent and looked upon the serpent of brass on the pole, didn’t die, but lived.
And so God brought salvation (bogsashada) through the serpent of brass and those, who believed and obeyed the words of God and looked upon the serpent of brass, stayed alive.
Why did God command Moses to make a serpent of brass? The serpent is the father of (dhicid) biniaadan. The generation of fallen man has the evil nature of the devil (serpent).
The serpent of brass on the pole, would remember the people of their rebellious behavior and their sin, how they spoke against God and Moses, and the fiery serpents and how God brought salvation (bogsashada) kuwaas, who obeyed His words and looked upon the serpent of brass on the pole.
The moment, when the serpent became the father of fallen man
Although Adam walked with God in the garden of Eden, there came a moment when Adam became disobedient to God and believed the words of the devil, which had come to him through the serpent and through Eve, above the words of God and obeyed the words of the devil by eating from the forbidden fruit.
Through his obedience to the devil (serpent), he yielded to the devil and death entered and his spirit died (and came under the authority of death) and lived in the power of the devil.
Through his deed of disobedience to God, Adam had fallen from his position and was (ooweidi ah) separated from God and had become an adversary of God.
The serpent, shaydaanka, had become the father of fallen man and everyone, oo ka dhalan doona abuur ninka, would be born as a sinner and live in the power of the devil and darkness.
From that moment sin and death reigned as king in the lives of fallen mankind (dembiilayaal).
But God had already a plan of redemption for fallen mankind, to deliver mankind from the power of the devil, iyo dembiga iyo dhimashada. God promised that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent and the serpent would bruise his heel (Bilowgii 3).
Si kastaba ha ahaatee, this didn’t happen immediately, but it took a long time, before God sent His Son Jesus Christ out of love to the earth to deliver fallen mankind from the power of the devil and reconcile man back to Himself (Sidoo kale akhri: What does it mean the head of the devil was bruised because the heel of Jesus was bruised?)
Jesus came to the earth to redeem the sinners from the power of the serpent
Bal eeg, addoonkaygu miyir buu yeelan doonaa, Isaga waa la sarraysiin doonaa oo la sarraysiin doonaa, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; Fiisihiisa ayaa aad uga xumaaday nin kasta, oo muuqaalkiisuna waa ka sii badan yahay binu-aadmiga: Sidaasuu quruumo badan u saydhi doonaa; Boqorradu afkooday isaga xidhi doonaan: Waayo, wixii aan iyaga loo sheegin way arki doonaan; Wixii aanay maqlin way ka fiirsan doonaan (Ishacyaah 52:13-15)
Yaa rumaystay warkeenna? Oo yaa gacantii Rabbiga loo muujiyey? Waayo, isagu hortiisuu ku koray sida geed jilicsan oo kale, iyo sidii xidid ka soo baxay dhul engegan: Isagu qaab iyo qurux toona ma leh; iyo markaan isaga arki doonno, Qurux aanu isaga ku doonaynaa ma jirto. Isaga waa la quudhsadaa oo waa la quudhsadaa; nin murugo leh, oo murugo bartay: Oo sidii wejiyadayadii ayaanu isaga ka qarinnay; Waa la quudhsaday, Isagana ma aanaan qaddarin. Sida xaqiiqada ah wuxuu dhalay murugaheena, oo qaaday murugadeenii: Hadana waxaan ku jirnay inuu garaacay, Si ka dhuftay Ilaah, oo dhibaataysan. Laakiinse wuu ku dhaawacmay xadgudubkeenna, Wuxuu u naxay xumaatooyinkeenna: Cadaabka nabaddayada ayaa ku sugnaaday; Iyo xarigiisii aan bogsanay.
Dhammaanteen sidii idaha ayaannu u baadinay; Mid kastaaba jidkiisaynu u leexannay; oo Rabbigu wuxuu dul saaray xumaanteenna dhammaanteen. Waa la dulmay, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not His mouth: Waxaa loo keenay sidii wan yar oo gawraca, Iyo sidii ido ka hor intaanu xishoodkeedu carmarin, so he openeth not His mouth.
Waa laga soo qaaday xabsi iyo xukun: and who shall declare his generation? waayo, isaga waa laga gooyay dalkii kuwa nool: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.
And He made his grave with the wicked, oo kuwii hodanka ahaa dhimashadiisa; maxaa yeelay, wax rabshad ah ma uu samayn, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Weli waxay Rabbiga kaga farxisay inuu beerjaro; Isagu murug buu ku riday: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, Wuxuu arki doonaa abuurkiisa, Cimrigiisuna wuu dheerayn doonaa, Oo raallinimada Rabbiguna gacantiisa ku noqon doontaa. Isagu wuxuu arki doonaa dhibka naftiisa, waana ku qanci doontaa: by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; Waayo, isagu wuxuu qaadan doonaa xumaatooyinkooda.
Sidaas daraaddeed waxaan u qaybin doonaa kuwa weyn, Oo boolida ayuu kuwa xoogga badan la qaybsan doonaa; maxaa yeelay, naftiisii ayuu ku shubay dhimasho: oo waxaa lagu tiriyey xadhkaha; Oo wuxuu cafiyey dembiga badan, oo ka shafeeyey shacabka (Ishacyaah 53)
And so Jesus came in the likeness of man to earth to redeem man from the power of the serpent (shaydaanka).
Jesus became equal to mankind and was tempted in all things, weli dembi la'aan, so that Jesus could become the Substitute for fallen mankind. Because if Jesus would not become equal to mankind, and had to be tempted in all things, Jesus couldn’t take the place of mankind and couldn’t become the Substitute for mankind and bear the sins and iniquities of mankind (Ishacyaah 53, Cibraaniyada 2:14-18 (Sidoo kale akhri: The peace restored between fallen man and God iyo Ciise si buuxda ma u ahaa Aadane?)).
Ciise, the Son of Man, was lifted on the cross
Jesus was scourged in such a horrible way, that his face was so marred and His appearance was no longer human. Markaa Jesus was lifted on the wooden cross and carried all the sins and iniquities of humanity, which the Lord laid upon Him. Jesus was made sin and became a curse on the cross.
Although Jesus did the will of God and pleased the Father, and this was all part of God’s redemptive work for fallen man, the people esteemed Jesus stricken, Si ka dhuftay Ilaah, oo dhibban (ku. Ishacyaah 53:4)
Jesus finished His work on the cross, entered Hades to take the power of death and Hell (Aayad) and redeem the prisoners of death, and rose from the dead with the keys of Hell and death (Muujintii 1:18).
Jesus was highly exalted by the Father
Maskaxdaan ha kugu jirto, kaas oo weliba ku jiray Ciise Masiix: Hay'ada Caafimaadka Aduunka, oo ku jira qaabka Ilaah, uma maleeyeen inayan tuug ahayn in Ilaah lala simo: Laakin wuxuu naftiisa ka dhigay mid aan sumcad lahayn, oo wuxuu u huwaday sidii addoon oo kale, oo loo ekaysiiyey dad: Oo mooddo laga helay sidii nin, Wuu is-hoosaysiiyey, oo waxay addeeceen ilaa dhimasho, xataa dhimashadii iskutallaabta. Sidaas daraaddeed Ilaah aad buu u sarraysiiyey, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, waxyaalaha jannada ku jira, iyo waxyaalaha dhulka, iyo waxyaalaha dhulka hoostiisa mara; iyo in carrab kastaaba qirto in Ciise Masiix yahay Rabbiga, ammaanta Ilaaha Aabbaha ah (Filibiin 2:5-11)
Ka bacdi 40 maalmood, Ciise wuxuu u baxay samada, where Jesus was highly exalted by the Father and took place on the throne at the right hand of the Father, ka sarreeya dhammaan maamulayaasha, awood, laga yaabi lahaa, iyo xukunka (Efesos 1:19-21).
Qof walba, who believes in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work and repent and become born of water and Spirit, shall no longer live in the power of the devil (serpent) and the power of sin and death, caasinimada Ilaahay, but shall be transferred from the power of the devil to the Kingdom of God, halkaas oo Ciise Masiix boqor u yahay oo boqornimadiisa, and shall be reconciled with God and be made righteous and inherit eternal life.
Through the disobedience of man to God, the serpent became the father of fallen man, but through the obedience of Jesus Christ to the Father, and Jesus being lifted on the cross, man would be reconciled with God and God would become the Father of the new man (Roomaanka 5 iyo 6).
The serpent of brass points to Jesus Christ, Who brings salvation and eternal life
Sida Muuse ku kiciyey abeesadii cidlada dhexdeeda, xitaa waa inuu Wiilka Aadanas kor u qaadaa: In qof kastoo isaga rumaystaa uusan lumin, laakiin leh nolosha weligeed ah. Eebbe waa uu dunida u jeclaaday, in uu siiyay wiilkiisa oo keliya, in ku alla kii isaga rumaystaa uusan lumin, laakiin nolosha weligeed ah. Waayo, Ilaah wiilkiisa dunida ma uu soo dirin inuu dhaleeceeyo dunida; Laakiin in dunidu isaga lagu badbaadiyo. Kii isaga rumaystaa lama xukumay: laakiin kii aan rumaysanina wax aan hore u xukun waayey, maxaa yeelay, isagu ma uu rumaysan magaca Wiilkii Ilaah oo keliya oo wiilka Ilaah ah (John 3:14-18)
Jesus didn’t come to the earth to condemn man, but to save man Because every man is fallen. Every person is a sinner and is affected by evil (dabeecadda dembiga), Si kale haddii loo dhigo, is bitten by the serpent, and therefore every man needs salvation. God has provided for the salvation of mankind through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus came and gave (oo weli siiya) man a choice for life or death.
Because as the serpent of brass was lifted in the wilderness by Moses, brought deliverance from death, and gave life to those, who believed in the words of God and looked upon the serpent, xataa sidaas, does Jesus Christ, who was lifted on the cross on Calvary, brings deliverance from the power of the serpent (shaydaanka), dhimasho, and darkness and gave eternal life to those, who believe in Him and become born again in Him.
And so Jesus became the Substitute, Bixiya, Saviour, Bog, Author, and Lord of the new man, who submits to the Word and listens to Jesus and obeys and does His words and lives in the will of the Father.
‘ Dhulka milix ahow’
